Fire-escape



(No Mod l. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. E. STEEGMANN. FIRE ESCAPE.

- VENTOH ATTORNEY.-

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. E. STEEGMANN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 495,437. Patented Apr. 11,1893.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. STEEGMANN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FlRE-E SCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,437, dated April11, 1893.

Application filed April 16, 1892- Serial No. 429i 0 (N0 m -l T0 aZZ whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. STEEGMANN, acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire escapes and the object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the class stated which will beof simple construction, economical in cost, easily operated, reliable,durable and practicable in use.

To these ends the improvement consists of the features, arrangements andcombinations hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device,illustrating its use. Fig. 2 is a front view thereof showing the mannerof securing the lower extremity of the ladder. In this View the brakemechanism is also illustrated. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view in detail of the life preserver,or attachment for the ladder, employed by a person descending thereon toprevent the possibility of falling. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevationshowing the manner of attaching the life preserver to the ladder. Fig. 6is a perspective view of a modified form of construction. Fig. 7 is asectional elevation showing this form in position upon the ladder.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts or elements ofthe mechanism in the several views.

The numeral 5 designates a pair of brackets preferably secured to theupper part of the wall 6 above the window casing 7 and located on theinside of the room. Within the outer extremities of the arms of thebrackets is pivoted a roller to which is attached and upon which iswound a wire rope ladder 9,

which when in use, is unwound by the occupant of the room and passed outof the window (the lower sash 10 being raised) and lowered over a roller12 pivoted in a pair of brackets 13 secured to the outside of the walland of sufficient length to maintain the ladderv from contact with theouter wall of the building and all external attachments. The ladder islowered until its free extremity reaches the ground, when it is drawntaut and secured by the use of rings 15 .or other attachments made fastto the pavement.

In lowering the ladder a crank 16 (Fig. 2)

secured to one of the spindles 8 of roller 8 and 3 it is secured tocatch 21 located in the room within easy reach of the occupant. Thisbrake mechanism is usually employed only for the purpose of controllingthe descent of the ladder as it is lowered to the ground. In case of anemergency, however, a person may get on the ladder and lower himself atthe same time by the use of the brake rope, which must then be longenough to reach to the ground. Or one person, as a child, may beattached to the free extremity of the ladder and lowered to the groundby another person who manipulates the brake mechanism from the roomabove.

In order to make the descent upon the ladder absolutely safe, I make useof the attachment shown in Fig. 4 which consists of abelt 22, suitablyattached to a gripping mechanism 23, adapted to slide freely upon theladder unless the person descending loses his hold, when the weight ofhis body causes the device to grip the ladder and hold the personthereon until he can be rescued from below. The belt 22 is adapted tobuckle about the waist and is-provided with rings, eyes, staples orother suitable means 21 connected with bars 25 of the grip 23 by meansof chains 26 or other suitable connections. These chains are attached tothe upper extremities of bars which are connected by rods 27 and 28, thelatter being a grip rod located near the lower extremities of the bars.Device 23 is held in position upon the ladder by a bar 29 which ishinged at one extremity to one of the bars, while the other extremity islocked to the other bar when the ladder is in place, the ladder beingthen located between rods 27 and 28 and the hinged bar as shown in Fig.5. In using this attachment the part 23 normally slides by gravity uponthe ladder as the person descends in the usual way. If, however, he

loses his hold accidentally or through fright,

as is liable to occur in the case of timid persons,during the excitementand tumult attending confiagrations, the weight of the body draws theupper extremities of bars 25 outward and forces gripping rod 28 in theopposite direction against the ladder, forming a kink therein andlocking the device 23 securely upon the ladder by means of the resultingfriction, and supporting the person until he can be rescued by theascent of some one from the ground. Springs may be employed connectingthe extremities of rods 27 and 28 and engaging the ladder. Normallythese springs bow outward toward bar -29,but when the ladder is inposition thereon they are pressed inward to a vertical plane as shown inFig. 5.

A modified form of grip mechanism is illus trated in Figs. 6 and 7 andconsists of the curved levers 25 fulcrumed at to angle barsconnected bytransverse rods 37. This angle-bar frame is locked on the ladder by thehinged bar 29", the ladder being located between said bar and rod 28 asshown in Fig. 7. This construction,like that shown in Figs. t and 5 isadapted to slide easily upon the ladder except in case of accident, inwhich event'the weight of the body causes the upper extremities of arms25 to move outward and brings rod 28 in contact with the ladder and withsuch force as to prevent farther downward movement of the angle barframe, thereby suspending the person until rescued.

Each room of the building should be provided with one of my improvedfire escapes, including the ladder and the life-preserver attachments.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction andoperation of the mechanism will be fully understood.

It will be observed that the device can be used or operated by anyperson, and that no special skill or ingenuity is required in itssuccessful manipulation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationof the body belt and a sliding frame composed of two bars to the upperextremities of which the belt is attached by suitable connections, amovable locking arm adapted to connect the two bars and a gripping rodconnecting the bars and located below the locking arm and a support forthe sliding frame, substantially as described.

2. In a fire escape the combination of a wire rope ladder having oneextremity secured to a roller suitably supported within the building andthe other extremity made fast to the tially as described.

4. In a fire escape the combination of the wire rope ladder the innerand outer brackets, means for securing the lower extremity of the ladderwhereby the same may be drawn taut, the sliding frame attached to theladder and the body belt connected with the frame Whereby the latter isadapted to grip the ladder and lock itself thereon when the weight ofthe person descending is thrown on the belt, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a body belt and a sliding grip frame to which thebelt is attached, said frame consisting of two bars to the upperextremity of which the belt is attached, a movable locking arm adaptedto connect the two bars and a gripping rod also connecting the bars andlocated'below the locking arm, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a body belt and a sliding grip frame composed oftwo bars to the upper extremity of which the belt'is attached, twotransverse connecting rods carrying springs, a movable locking armattached to the frame between said rods whereby one is adapted to form agrip rod when the weight of the body is thrown upon the frame,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. STEEGMANN.

Witnesses:

WM. MoCoNNELL, ZITELLA EBERT.

